(NOT APPLICABLE)
The present invention relates to card games and, more particularly, to a variable payoff scenario for a casino card game wherein the game outcome is determined based on a numerical total of a player""s hand.
With the expansion of gaming and the increase in competition, casinos are striving to offer a wider variety of games. Growth in slot machine popularity and the increase in variety of specialty games has resulted in the overall reduction in conventional games, such as Blackjack (xe2x80x9c21xe2x80x9d) tables.
Many casinos, however, are reluctant to reduce the number of conventional tables because of the inherent game attractiveness to both players and casinos. For example, in Blackjack, the game is based on simple concepts and procedures that are readily understood by both casual and regular players. Moreover, the game requires relatively low overhead to facilitate and monitor. In addition, floor space is limited in a casino, and casino operators are reluctant to replace an income-generating Blackjack or other game table with a new game variety.
In conventional Blackjack, however, experienced players can utilize established strategies to practically eliminate the house advantage. The ability to eliminate the house advantage is obviously a concern for casino operators. Additionally, less experienced or beginning players may be hesitant to play Blackjack because they are aware that such strategies exist, but are unable to execute them themselves. Novice players play poorly even with some knowledge of the basic strategy and therefore have a more negative experience than might otherwise have been the case. Still further, with conventional Blackjack, these established strategies can be enhanced to actually achieve a player advantage when coupled with the use of card counting. Although discouraged in most casinos, it is difficult to police card counting as a rehearsed card counter can typically count cards without exhibiting any outward appearance of counting.
Still further, disputes between the players can arise when novice players are seated with experienced players. That is, a novice player may instruct the dealer to deal an additional card or instruct the dealer not to deal an additional card when the experienced player believes the contrary was appropriate. Often, the experienced player perceives that the novice""s improper instruction resulted in an adverse outcome.
In an attempt to accommodate the desire for variety and the retention of a significant Blackjack presence, several Blackjack variant games have been introduced. These games include Multiple Action Blackjack, Spanish 21, Face-Up 21, and Royal Match. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,917 to Vancura. A summary of known Blackjack variants is discussed in the Vancura patent. Spanish 21, however, seems to be the only Blackjack variant that has endeavored to address the primary problems of Blackjack. In Spanish 21, the cards with a value of 10 are removed from the regular deck. As the 10 cards are valuable for a card counter, Spanish 21 is less attractive to the card counter. The removal of 10""s alone increases the house advantage too high, so additional play options and bonus pays are incorporated to give a better balanced house advantage. However, there is still a best basic strategy for Spanish 21, which the majority of players are probably unaware is quite different from regular basic strategy. Thus, while the game is an enjoyable variant and has achieved some popularity, many players will have had a substantively more negative experience than at regular Blackjack.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for playing a card game that overcomes the drawbacks associated with conventional casino games such as Blackjack. It is another object of the invention to provide a card game incorporating a variable payoff based on the difference between a player hand numerical total and a dealer hand numerical total.
According to the invention, a casino game is provided that can be played on existing or slightly modified game tables. In an exemplary embodiment, the game according to the invention is a Blackjack derivative, wherein the payoff for a winning hand is variable based on a difference between player and dealer hands. There is no such variable payoff in conventional Blackjack, with the exception of a 3 to 2 payoff for a two-card total of 21, but that payoff only comes up when a player is dealt a hand totaling 21 (when the dealer is not dealt a matching hand), and the payoff is not related to any difference between hands.
According to the invention, when the dealer busts, the player preferably receives only a push on his wager (in order to control the house advantage, which is markedly changed with a variable payoff variant). When the dealer and player have equal hands, the game is a draw and the wager is also pushed. When the player beats the dealer, and the dealer""s hand has not exceeded an upper limit, the payoff is variable.
The introduction of a variable payoff scale has a dramatic impact on best basic player strategy. As the player only pushes when the dealer busts according to the invention, there is an incentive for the player to hit hands with a total of 12 through 16. This contrasts with Blackjack where standing or hitting such hands is influenced by reference to the dealer""s up card (one of the two dealer cards that is visible to the player). Moreover, because of the variable payoff scale, a higher hand has more value, compounding the attraction of not standing on 12 through 16. Soft totals (e.g., hands with an Ace that can be treated as a value of 1 or 11) would also be hit more frequently for the same reasons.
By creating a payoff scale that justifies a somewhat similar strategy of play, regardless of dealer up card, the game according to the invention is simple to learn. It is the player""s goal to achieve a total of 18-21 to win, as according to a preferred embodiment, a total of 17 can only tie or push. With the simpler strategy according to the invention, the conventional Blackjack skill elements are reduced, and the casino has less need to be concerned about card counters. Moreover, new players and novice players have an easier learning curve along with a common desire to achieve a maximum hand total.
The house advantage can be varied by altering the payoff scale in the rules of play. Players typically better enjoy such a game with liberal options such as splitting pairs, no limits on re-splitting pairs, doubling any hand (including splits and soft totals), hitting after doubling, doubling after doubling, additional bonuses for specific hands (such as blackjack, pairs), etc. Still further, the game according to the invention can be played with alternative dealer standing rules, contrary to conventional Blackjack where the dealer must stand with 17 (except soft 17 at some casinos). If a dealer stands with 18, then the payoff scale could be raised, whereas if the dealer stands with 16, the payoff scale can be reduced.
The application of a payoff scale to an even money game therefore changes the whole dynamics of the game. Other casino games that rely on numerical values such as Baccarat or War can easily be adapted according to the invention with the introduction of the payoff scale, with payoffs depending upon the amount by which a hand is won. As with Blackjack, the exact rules of play for the game variant should be changed to most easily accommodate the payoff scale introduction.
In a variant operating mode, a Blackjack-style game has a modified numerical value system. In the modified numerical value system, an ace counts as 1, cards numbered 2-9 count as face value, and cards numbered 10 and picture cards count as xc2xd. Alternatively, aces count as 1, cards numbered 2-9 count as face value, cards numbered 10 count as 0, and picture cards count as xc2xd. In either numerical value system, a preferred hand upper limit is 9xc2xd. Other rules similar to Blackjack rules and result in payoffs from xc2xd the core wager up to three times the core wager in increments of xc2xd.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved by providing a method of playing a card game including the steps of (a) receiving a core wager from a player; (b) dealing hands of cards to a player and a dealer; (c) establishing numerical card values, wherein aces count as 1, cards numbered 2-9 count as face value, cards numbered 10 count either as 0 or xc2xd, and picture cards count as xc2xd; (d) determining an outcome of the card game according to rules of the card game based on the established numerical card values; and (e) if the player wins the card game according to the rules of the card game, paying the player a payoff based on the core wager determined by a numerical difference between the player""s hand and the dealer""s hand.
Step (b) may be practiced by dealing one- or two-card hands of cards to the player and the dealer. In this context, step (c) is preferably practiced by (c1) the player determining a numerical total of the player""s hand; (c2) the player effecting one or more game options according to the rules of the game, such as standing, hitting, splitting cards and/or doubling the core wager; (c3) the dealer determining a numerical total of the dealer""s hand, wherein (c3-i) if the dealer hand numerical total is below a lower limit, the dealer drawing another card and repeating step (c3), (c3-ii) if the dealer hand numerical total is equal to or higher than the lower limit and equal to or less than an upper limit, the dealer standing and proceeding to step (c4), (c3-iii) if the dealer hand numerical total is higher than the upper limit and the player hand numerical total is equal to or lower than the upper limit, the dealer proceeding to step (c4); and (c4) the dealer resolving the player""s wager according to the rules of the game. Still further, step (c4) may be practiced by declaring the wager a push if the player hand numerical total is equal to the dealer hand numerical total, declaring the wager a push if the dealer hand numerical total is higher than the upper limit and the player hand numerical total is lower than or equal to the upper limit, and if the player hand numerical total is lower than or equal to the upper limit and the dealer hand numerical total is lower than the upper limit, (i) paying the player a variable payoff based on the wager according to the numerical difference between the player""s hand and the dealer""s hand if the player hand numerical total exceeds the dealer hand numerical total, and (ii) the player forfeiting the wager if the dealer hand numerical total exceeds the player hand numerical total.
Preferably, the variable payoff is determined by reference to the following schedule:
The upper limit is preferably 9xc2xd, and the lower limit is any one of 6, 6xc2xd or 7.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of playing a casino card game that is based on card hand numerical totals and includes a player core wager. The method includes paying a variable payoff according to the player core wager based on a difference between a dealer hand numerical total and a player hand numerical total, the dealer hand numerical total and the player hand numerical total being determined according to established numerical card values as noted above.
Generally, the variable payoff is preferably determined such that if a player wins by n, the payoff is n to 1.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus configured for playing a card game according to the method of the invention.